Tracking data acquired by coordinate measurement devices through a workflow

ABSTRACT

A method that includes providing a database for storing meta-data that describes steps in a workflow and an order of the steps in the workflow. The meta-data includes, for each of the steps: a description of an input data file for the step; a description of a transaction performed at the step; and a description of an output data file generated by the step based at least in part on applying the transaction to the input data file. Data that includes meta-data for a step in the workflow is received and the data is stored in the database. A trace of the workflow is generated based at least in part on contents of the database. The generating is based on receiving a request from a requestor for the trace of the workflow. At least a subset of the trace is output to the requestor.

BACKGROUND

The subject matter described herein relates in general to data securityand traceability, and in particular to tracking data acquired bycoordinate measurement devices through a workflow.

The integrity of digital data can be verified through the use of digitalsecurity functions such as cryptographic hash functions, where acryptographic hash function is applied to contents of a file tocalculate a digital security attribute, such as a hash code, for thefile. A user subsequently accessing the file can verify that contents ofthe file have not been altered, modified, or corrupted by applying thesame cryptographic hash function to the file, or to a copy of the file,to calculate a new hash code, or other digital security attribute, whichis compared to the original hash code. If the new hash code matches theoriginal hash code, then the file has not been altered. Withthree-dimensional (3D) scan data and other digital assets now being usedin public safety applications, cryptographic hash functions can be usedto assure that the information gathered at the scene is not alteredduring the process of the investigation.

Typically, file authenticity is confirmed using a cryptographic hashfunction when a file has been copied and moved to a destinationcomputer. Once authenticity is confirmed, the user can open the file andexecute the required processes and analysis with the data in the file.Users following best practices will check the hash code every time thatthe file is loaded or opened in order to be confident that someone didnot tamper with the data in the file since the last time they workedwith the file and/or that it was transferred or copied to a newdestination without errors. The process of checking the hash code is notintegrated into a user's workflow so it is more likely to be skipped asit provides a burden on the user to ensure that it is completed. Thisprocess can be cumbersome and time consuming, and oftentimes after thefile is checked once on a computer the user generally trusts that is hasnot changed. Contemporary tools are not available to verify that anypurposeful changes to the asset were documented, or logged, and thatonly desired and verifiable changes are included in the new version ofthe digital asset.

In the area of public safety and cases that end up going to a judicialtrial it is desired that the user follow practices that verify theauthenticity of the file each time that they access the file. The stepstaken to ensure file integrity of scans and digital evidence assetsthroughout the investigative period should be documented to ensure thatthe evidence presented can withstand scrutiny during cross examinationand questions from expert witnesses.

Accordingly, while data security processes are suitable for theirintended purposes, what is needed is a data security process havingcertain features of embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method fortracking a digital asset is provided. The method includes providing adatabase for storing meta-data that describes steps in a workflow and anorder of the steps in the workflow. The meta-data includes, for each ofthe steps: a description of an input data file for the step; adescription of a transaction performed at the step; and a description ofan output data file generated by the step based at least in part onapplying the transaction to the input data file. Data that includesmeta-data for a step in the workflow is received and the data is storedin the database. A trace of the workflow is generated based at least inpart on contents of the database. The generating is based on receiving arequest from a requestor for the trace of the workflow. At least asubset of the trace is output to the requestor.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that an inputdata file for a first step in the workflow is acquired by a coordinatemeasurement device.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thecoordinate measurement device includes a photogrammetry device.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thecoordinate measurement device includes a scanner.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thetrace includes a chain of custody.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may further includerecreating a version of an output data file at a selected point in timebased at least in part on contents of the database.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that themetadata further includes a time stamp of a time of an update to theoutput data file, an identifier of a person or processor initiating theupdate, and a pointer to a location of the output data file.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thedatabase is used to implement a blockchain, with each block in theblockchain representing a step in the workflow and the blockchain beingutilized to provide proof of non-manipulated data.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that at leastone block in the blockchain is digitally signed by a creator of the atleast one block.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thedatabase provides a template for the workflow.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may further includeapplying the workflow to new input data.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that thedatabase is used to implement event sourcing.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that the datadocuments a crime scene or an accident scene.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the method may include that an inputdata file for a first step in the workflow is acquired by a threedimensional (3D) camera.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system fortracking a digital asset is provided. The system includes a memoryhaving computer readable instructions and one or more processors forexecuting the computer readable instructions. The computer readableinstructions control the one or more processors to perform operationsthat include providing a database for storing meta-data that describessteps in a workflow and an order of the steps in the workflow. Themeta-data includes, for each of the steps: a description of an inputdata file for the step; a description of a transaction performed at thestep; and a description of an output data file generated by the stepbased at least in part on applying the transaction to the input datafile. Data that includes meta-data for a step in the workflow isreceived and the data is stored in the database. A trace of the workflowis generated based at least in part on contents of the database. Thegenerating is based on receiving a request from a requestor for thetrace of the workflow. At least a subset of the trace is output to therequestor.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that an inputdata file for a first step in the workflow is acquired by a coordinatemeasurement device.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that thetrace includes a chain of custody.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that theoperations further include recreating a version of an output data fileat a selected point in time based at least in part on contents of thedatabase.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that thedatabase is used to implement a blockchain, with each block in theblockchain representing a step in the workflow and the blockchain beingutilized to provide proof of non-manipulated data.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that thedatabase provides a template for the workflow.

In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as analternative, further embodiments of the system may include that theoperations further include applying the workflow to new input data.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer programproduct for tracking digital assets includes a computer readable storagemedium having program instructions embodied therewith, the programinstructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to performoperations. The operations include providing a database for storingmeta-data that describes steps in a workflow and an order of the stepsin the workflow. The meta-data includes, for each of the steps: adescription of an input data file for the step; a description of atransaction performed at the step; and a description of an output datafile generated by the step based at least in part on applying thetransaction to the input data file. Data that includes meta-data for astep in the workflow is received and the data is stored in the database.A trace of the workflow is generated based at least in part on contentsof the database. The generating is based on receiving a request from arequestor for the trace of the workflow. At least a subset of the traceis output to the requestor.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of components of a system for storingdata acquired by a coordinate measurement device in a secure database inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for adding data to andretrieving data from a secure database in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of contents of data blocks in asecure database in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a system for tracking dataacquired by a coordinate measurement device through a workflow by usinga secure database in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of contents of data blocks in asecure database in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for tracking dataacquired by a coordinate measurement device through a workflow using asecure database in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for ensuring that dataoutput from a workflow has not been tampered with in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for applying astandardized workflow to an input data file in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a laser scanner in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the laser scanner illustrating a method ofmeasurement according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the optical, mechanical, andelectrical components of the laser scanner according to an embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic illustration of the laser scanner ofFIG. 9 according to an embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a cloud computing environment inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of an abstraction model layers inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of a computer system in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention.

The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, togetherwith advantages and features, by way of example with reference to thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to using a secure databaseto create a traceable workflow for data processing. Embodiments can beused to track data acquired by coordinate measurement devices to providea traceable record from the time that the data is captured/acquired,covering all of the steps in the data processing workflow. Informationthat can be recorded at each step in the workflow includes data filesthat were created or modified as well as meta-data. The meta-data caninclude but is not limited to: transaction information such as thehardware and hardware settings utilized in the step and/or the softwarepackages including version levels utilized in the step; people involvedin performing the step; and/or a timestamp indicating when the step wasperformed. This information which includes proof of how the data wascaptured/acquired and processed can be used to provide a chain ofcustody to show that the data has not been tampered with, altered,manipulated and/or subject to unauthorized modifications.

As used herein, the term “chain of custody” refers to a trace of themovement and location of electronic evidence from the time that it isobtained until the time that it is presented, for example in a judicialcourt. A chain of custody can include proof that the electronic evidenceis what it purports to be (e.g., scan data captured at a crime scene),proof of continuous possession by one or more people or entities fromthe time that it was captured until it is presented, and proof that theelectronic evidence was not altered by any of the people or entitiesduring their possession of the electronic evidence. An example ofelectronic evidence is data documenting a crime scene that includes rawcoordinate scan data that was captured/acquired at the crime scene andmanipulations of the raw scan data into data documenting the crimescene.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thesecure database provides a location to store meta-data describing tasks(also referred to herein as “transactions”) performed in a workflowprocess and pointers to data files used in the workflow process. Thesecure database allows the creation and any updates to the content ofthe data files in the workflow to be traced and can include a digitalsignature of any entity (e.g., scanner, person) involved in performing atask certifying that the content of the data file and/or meta-data arecorrect. The meta-data in the secure database may also include atime-stamp and restrict access to particular entities. In accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention, at least a subsetof the data file and the meta-data are stored in the same storagedevice. In accordance with one or more other embodiments of the presentinvention, the data file and the meta-data are stored in differentstorage devices.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thesecure database is implemented using event sourcing techniques to tracethe sequence of steps in a workflow that were used to generate a datafile(s). The use of event sourcing techniques can be used to ensure thatall steps in a workflow are stored as a sequence of events. For eachevent, or step, in the workflow, the input data file(s), output datafile(s), and transactions applied to the input data file(s) (e.g., by asoftware program and/or hardware device) to generate the output datafile(s) are recorded in a secure database often referred to as an “eventstore.” In accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, pointers to storage locations of the data files (and not theactual data files) are stored in the secure database. Data describingnew events can be appended to the event store without over-writingprevious events in order to maintain the history of the steps/data inthe workflow. In addition, security schemes such as, but not limited to,cryptography can be utilized to link the events together and/or toensure that contents of the events have not been tampered with. Thesecure database can be implemented by a single copy of a centralizeddatabase accessible only to authorized personnel and/or computermodules.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thesecure database is implemented using blockchain technology, such as, butnot limited to private blockchain technology. As known in the art, ablockchain includes a sequential list of records (referred to as blocks)that are linked together using cryptography. Additional blocks may beappended to the blockchain and each block contains meta-data such as acryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, pointers to oneor more data files, and transaction data. In accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present invention, each step in the workflow isrepresented as a block in the blockchain and the transaction data, ortransaction information, describes the processing performed at thecorresponding step in the workflow. In an embodiment, whenever a blockis created, information in the block is processed via a hash function toproduce a hash value. This hash value is stored in the block which isappended at the end of the blockchain. Each new hash is also generatedbased on the hash value of a previous block, hence ensuring theauthenticity of the entire blockchain. If someone tampers withinformation within a block, every computing device with access to theblockchain will be able to identify the tampering. Existing blockchainplatforms such as, but not limited to Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric andQuorom may be utilized by one or more embodiments of the presentinvention. Ethereum is an example of a public blockchain platform havingblocks that are accessible to the public. Hyperledger Fabric and Quoromare examples of private blockchains having blocks that are restricted toa defined set of users.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, bystoring meta-data about the digital asset, or data file, in the securedatabase, data authentication and tracking are performed automaticallyeach time that the data file is created, modified, or accessed. Byautomating the process, the extra work required by the user in having toverify the authenticity of a secured digital asset upon each use of thesecured digital asset is eliminated. In addition, by automating theprocess, human error in forgetting to verify a data file and/orforgetting to log a verification of a data file can also be prevented.In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention,notifications that include results of the authentication are logged, andoutput to the user of the data file or to a third party. A communicationto the user can indicate in real time (e.g., prior to the user accessingthe digital asset) that all the requested or associated files have beenchecked and verified, and alerts can indicate any issues with thedigital asset(s). Communicating the results of the authentication to theuser can prevent time spent on tampered or corrupted assets and avoidwasted effort or potentially flawed analysis. The terms “digital asset”and “data file” are used interchangeably herein to refer to a computerfile storing content of value to a corporation, public safety agency, orother entity.

The automated process described herein provides advantages overcontemporary methods by removing the reliance on an end-user manuallyinitiating computer software to compare files and hash codes, which isopen to human error and inefficiencies. In addition, contemporary manualmethods of verifying data file integrity can be time consuming andcumbersome for end-users and as a result may not be followed at alltimes. The automated process described herein removes the burden fromthe end-user and performs the verification automatically as part of thework flow when an end-user downloads a file from a secure location.Removing the reliance on end-users for performing the authenticating andautomatically logging information about accesses to a securedthree-dimensional (3D) data file can result in a more accurateevidentiary log for providing a chain of custody of the 3D data file.

Embodiments are described herein in terms of a 3D data file and a hashcode. A 3D data file is one example of a type of data file that includesdata acquired by a coordinate measurement device. Embodiments of thepresent invention are not limited to data files that are 3D data filesand can include any type of data file containing data acquired by acoordinate measurement device or generated as part of a workflow thatincludes data acquired by a coordinate measurement device or in anyother manner. In addition, a hash code is one example of a digitalsecurity attribute that can be generated by applying a digital securityfunction (e.g., a hash function). Embodiments of the present inventionare not limited to hash codes and hash functions and can include anytype of digital security known in the art to verify the authenticity ofa digital asset. For example, other types of digital security that canbe implemented by embodiments include, but are not limited to digitalsignatures, ciphers, cryptographic sponges, fingerprints, check digits,and checksums.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a schematic illustration of components 100 of asystem for storing and retrieving data acquired by a coordinatemeasurement device in a secure database is generally shown in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention. The components100 shown in FIG. 1 include scanner 102, secure database 104, andviewing software 114. The scanner 102 shown in FIG. 1 can be executingscan processing software such as SCENE™ software which is manufacturedby FARO Technologies, Inc. of Lake Mary, Fla. to create athree-dimensional (3D) coordinate data file that in the example shown inFIG. 1 is stored in the secure database 104 along with meta-data thatincludes transaction data that describes how the 3D file was created(e.g., scanner type and version, software type and version, timestamp,etc.), attributes of the 3D file (e.g., size, format, etc.), and/orsteps in a workflow associated with creating the 3D file. The data fileand the meta-data are referred to herein collectively as data. Inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thescanner 102 and the secure database 104 are located in differentgeographic locations and communicatively coupled via a network.

In an embodiment, the scanner 102 is a coordinate measurement device, ormetrology device, such as a 3D laser scanner time-of-flight (TOF)coordinate measurement device that generates 3D representations ofareas, such as crime scenes or accident scenes for example. A 3D laserscanner of this type steers a beam of light to a non-cooperative targetsuch as a diffusely scattering surface of an object. A distance meter inthe device measures a distance to the object, and angular encodersmeasure the angles of rotation of two axes in the device. The measureddistance and two angles enable on a processor in the device to determinethe 3D coordinates of the target. It should be appreciated that whileembodiments herein describe the data as being acquired by a coordinatemeasurement device that is a TOF laser scanner device, this is forexemplary purposes and the claims should not be so limited. In otherembodiments, the coordinate measurement device may be an articulated armcoordinate measurement machine, a laser line probe, a triangulationscanner, an area scanner, a structured light scanner, a photogrammetrydevice, a 2D camera used in a photogrammetry application, avideogrammetry device, a range camera, a RGB-D camera, a total station,a theodolite or a laser tracker for example. As used herein, a rangecamera or an RGB-D camera is a camera that acquires a two-dimensionalimage with depth information. The data acquired by the coordinatemeasurement device may include measurement data, coordinate data, 2Dimages, angles, audio recordings, or video recordings. The coordinatedata may be either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D)coordinate data.

A TOF laser scanner is a scanner in which the distance to a target pointis determined based on the speed of light in air between the scanner anda target point. Laser scanners are typically used for scanning closed oropen spaces such as interior areas of buildings, industrialinstallations and tunnels. They may be used, for example, in industrialapplications and accident reconstruction applications. A laser scanneroptically scans and measures objects in a volume around the scannerthrough the acquisition of data points representing object surfaceswithin the volume. Such data points are obtained by transmitting a beamof light onto the objects and collecting the reflected or scatteredlight to determine the distance, two-angles (i.e., an azimuth and azenith angle), and optionally a gray-scale value. This raw scan data iscollected, stored and sent to a processor or processors to generate a 3Dimage representing the scanned area or object. Raw scan data is anexample of one kind of a 3D file that can be output by scanner 102.

Generating an image requires at least three values for each data point.These three values may include the distance and two angles, or may betransformed values, such as the x, y, z coordinates. In an embodiment,an image is also based on a fourth gray-scale value, which is a valuerelated to irradiance of scattered light returning to the scanner.

Most TOF scanners direct the beam of light within the measurement volumeby steering the light with a beam steering mechanism. The beam steeringmechanism includes a first motor that steers the beam of light about afirst axis by a first angle that is measured by a first angular encoder(or other angle transducer). The beam steering mechanism also includes asecond motor that steers the beam of light about a second axis by asecond angle that is measured by a second angular encoder (or otherangle transducer).

Many contemporary laser scanners include a camera mounted on the laserscanner for gathering camera digital images of the environment and forpresenting the camera digital images to an operator of the laserscanner. By viewing the camera images, the operator of the scanner candetermine the field of view of the measured volume and adjust settingson the laser scanner to measure over a larger or smaller region ofspace. In addition, the camera digital images may be transmitted to aprocessor to add color to the scanner image. To generate a color scannerimage, at least three positional coordinates (such as x, y, z) and threecolor values (such as red, green, blue “RGB”) are collected for eachdata point.

Though not shown in FIG. 1, devices other than a scanner 102 such as,but not limited to articulated arm coordinate measurement machines, alaser line probes, triangulation scanners, area scanners, structuredlight scanners, photogrammetry devices, videogrammetry devices or lasertrackers can be used by one or more embodiments to generate 3D files.Contents of the 3D data files and meta-data can include, but are notlimited to data, images, transformation data, calibration information,and certification results.

As described previously, the secure database 104 may be implemented by ablockchain platform. As known in the art, a blockchain is a continuouslygrowing list of records, called blocks, that are linked and securedusing cryptography. Each block typically contains a cryptographic hashof the previous block, a timestamp, and data. In one or more embodimentsof the present invention, the data includes the 3D file and meta-datadescribing the 3D file and/or a step in a workflow that operates on thedata. In one or more other embodiments of the present invention, theblock includes a pointer to the data file (e.g., a 3D data file) whichis stored in another location and meta-data describing the 3D fileand/or a step in a workflow that operates on the data file. By design, ablockchain is inherently resistant to modification of the data in theblocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be alteredretroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks.

Cryptographic hash functions are designed to prevent being able toreverse the hash codes they create back into the original data, and theycan be used to verify the authenticity of the data stored in the securedatabase 104. Two files can be assured to be identical if the hash codesgenerated from each file, using the same cryptographic hash function,are identical. In accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, cryptographic hash functions can be implemented by anycryptographic hash function known in the art such as, but not limitedto: Message Digest 4 (MD5) and Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1).

Once a 3D data file (or a pointer to the 3D data file) and meta-data arestored in the secure database 104, viewing software 114 can request the3D data file and optionally the meta-data from the secure database 104.In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, theviewing software 114 and the secure database 104 are located indifferent geographic locations and communicatively coupled via anetwork. The viewing software 114 can be SCENE™ software which isdeveloped by FARO Technologies, Inc. of Lake Mary, Fla. Depending on thetype of 3D data file and the type of analysis being performed by anend-user, software other than viewing software 114 can be used by one ormore embodiments to access a 3D data file in a secure manner. Examplesof other types of software include but are not limited to: software thatis used to edit, clean, and prepare the digital assets; and softwarethat is used for analysis, simulation and presentation of the assets forinvestigative purposes or for presentation as evidence or testimony in ahearing or trial.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, the3D data file can be a single file or a group of files.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a scanner generates a laserscan that is stored as a set of scan files in a directory on a storagemedium such as, but not limited to a secure digital (SD) memory card.Examples of scan files can include but are not limited to: binary filescontaining sensor data; and text files containing scan meta-data such asthe time the scan was captured, and the scan parameters provided by theuser. In an embodiment, the scanner can create a textual digest filecontaining the names of all scan data files that make up the laser scanand store the digest file on the SD card as meta-data.

To validate that a scan file was not manipulated (e.g., to validate achain of custody of the set of scan files), the validator canrecalculate the digest hash code in the same way that the scanner didduring the scan. If one or more scan files listed in the digest havechanged, then their hash codes will be different. If one or more of thehash codes are different, then the digest will be different and in turnthe hash code of the digest will be different than that calculated bythe scanner. The validator can perform automatic checking by using atool that validates the signature of the digest hash code. If the checkis successful, this proves that the hash code was generated by thescanner and has not been recalculated by some other entity. The checkingcan also be performed manually by the validator, with the validatorcomparing the hash code of the digest that the validator calculated withthe hash code of the digest that was shown on the GUI of the scanner atthe scan site. When the manual method is used, the hash code shown onthe GUI of the scanner must have been written down and secured by atrusted entity (e.g., a public safety official or a police officerlocated on-site where the scans are performed).

In an embodiment, a hash function is applied to a combination of a scanfile and a unique attribute of the scanner such as, but not limited to aserial number of the scanner, a calibration value associated with thescanner, or a media access control (MAC) address of scanner. This can beused as a digital signature to associate or tie the scan file(s) to aparticular scanner.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a flow diagram 200 illustrating a method foradding data to and retrieving data from a secure database is generallyshown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention. In an embodiment, the processing shown in FIG. 2 is performedby computer instructions executing by one or more of scanner 102, securedatabase 104, and viewing software 106. At block 202, scan datacollected by a coordinate measurement device, such as scanner 102 ofFIG. 1, is received. The scan data can include, for example, a 3D datafile(s) that includes a point cloud representing an accident scene or acrime scene. The scan data can also include meta-data that describes the3D file, such as, but not limited to a description of the computersoftware (including version level) that was used to create the 3D datafile, settings on the scanner when the scan data was collected, and/orsteps in workflow.

In an embodiment, the scan data is signed by a digital signature of thescanner and/or of a user operating the scanner. The digital signaturemay be implemented using asymmetric cryptography where a machine or useris assigned both a public key and a private key. A hash value of thescan data, including the 3D data file and the meta-data, is signed usingthe private key of one or both of the scanner and the user operating thescanner to generate a digital signature(s) that can be added to themeta-data. At block 204 of FIG. 2, the 3D data file (or a pointer to the3D data file) and the meta-data are stored in a secure database, such assecure database 104 of FIG. 1. When the secure database is implementedby a blockchain, a new block can be created for the scan data and addedto the end of the blockchain at block 204 of FIG. 2. In addition, thecontent of the new block may be encrypted using a public key. Blocks 202and 204 of FIG. 2 can be initiated automatically (without user input)when a 3D data file is to be stored in a secure database. The processingin these blocks can be added to a workflow process that collects datafrom a coordinate measurement device and stores it to a secure datalocation. In accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the processing in blocks 202 and 204 of FIG. 2 is performedonly for 3D data files that are identified as requiring authenticationbased for example, on the contents of the 3D data file or the storage ofthe 3D data file.

At block 206 of FIG. 2, the data and meta-data are retrieved, forexample by viewing software 106 of FIG. 1. If the data and meta-datawere encrypted with a public key when they were stored, then at block206 of FIG. 2, they are decrypted using a corresponding private key. Atblock 208 of FIG. 2, the contents of the data and meta-data arevalidated as not being changed after being stored, by applying a publickey to the digital signature(s) and checking the hash. Blocks 206 and208 of FIG. 2 can be initiated automatically (without user input) when a3D data file is being retrieved from a secure storage location. Theprocessing in these blocks can be added to a workflow process thatretrieves data collected by a coordinate measurement device from asecure storage location.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a schematic illustration 300 of a data structurefor storing data associated with steps in a workflow is generally shownin accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.FIG. 3 shows block 0 302 a and block 1 302 b which each correspond to astep in a workflow. Block 0 302 a and block 1 302 b are referred toherein collectively as blocks 302. Each block 302 includes data files304 that are output, or generated, by the step in the workflow as wellas transactions descriptions 306 that describe processing performed atthe step. Block 0 302 a includes data files 304 and transactiondescriptions 306 related to a workflow step of creating scans. Block 1302 b includes data files 304 and transactions descriptions 306 relatedto a workflow step of importing scans into viewing software and creatingadditional data files.

Block 0 302 a includes two transaction descriptions 306: record scan andscan recording settings, and two data files 304 are created at thisstep: a raw scan data file and a photos data file that are input toblock 302 b Block 302 b includes two transaction descriptions 306:create project, import scans and the settings used during the import,and convert scans and the setting used during the converting, and twodata files 304 are created at this step: FLS scan files and a SCENEproject file. In an embodiment, there is one block for each portion ofthe workflow, and one private blockchain for each project. Havingseparate blockchains for each project may simplify providing a chain ofcustody for the project as all of the blocks in the chain are related tothe project.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a schematic illustration of a system 400 fortracking data acquired by a coordinate measurement device through aworkflow by using a secure database is generally shown in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present invention. The system 400shown in FIG. 4 includes user processors 402, a secure databaseimplemented by a blockchain 404, and network 410.

Each user processor 402 shown in FIG. 4 includes software instructions406 for execution by the user processor 402 to retrieve, operate on,and/or to store 3D data files or other files used to perform tasks in aworkflow process, as well as a memory 408 for storing, for example,local copies of the 3D data files. The memory 408 in the user processors402 shown in FIG. 4 is contained in a user processor 402, however inother embodiments the memory 408 is a storage device external to theuser processor 402. The software instructions 406 on the user processors402 each perform at least a subset of the tasks in the workflow processrepresented by blockchain 404.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, each user processor 402 iscommunicatively coupled to network 410. The system 400 shown in FIG. 4also includes the blockchain 404 being communicatively coupled tonetwork 110. Though shown in FIG. 4 as a single component, blockchain404 can span multiple processors and storage devices for storing thedata files, and meta-data. Contents of the blockchain 404 can be storedin any known type of memory or storage device and in any known formatand are not limited to being stored in a database or other particularfile format. Storage for the blockchain 404 (including data files, andmeta-data) can be located on any number of storage systems such as, butnot limited to a file server or network attached storage (NAS) systemwhere there is a file system with a folder and a file structure. Theblockchain 404 can also be located in an online cloud storage system(s)(e.g., remote file servers) or in a secure digital (SD) card(s) or in auniversal serial bus (USB) drive(s) could be a temporary digital filecollection that would want to be secured.

The network 410 shown in FIG. 4 can include one or more of any type ofknown networks including, but not limited to, a wide area network (WAN),a local area network (LAN), a global network (e.g. Internet), a virtualprivate network (VPN), and an intranet. The network 410 can include aprivate network in which access thereto is restricted to authorizedmembers. The network 410 can be implemented using wireless networkingtechnologies or any kind of physical network implementation known in theart. The components shown in FIG. 4 may be coupled to one or more othercomponents through multiple networks (e.g., Internet, intranet, andprivate network) so that not all components are coupled to othercomponents through the same network 410.

In an embodiment, user processor 402 a is a scanner, such as scanner 102of FIG. 1 and the software instructions 406 include scan processingsoftware as well as additional computer instructions to perform thebackground processing described herein to store a 3D data file in securestorage, such as blockchain 404. The software instructions 406 candetect a request to upload a 3D data file from memory 408 to theblockchain 404. The software instructions 206 on user processor 202 acan then store the 3D data file (or a pointer to the 3D data file) inthe blockchain 404. Additional information such as, but not limited toan identifier of the 3D data file, an identifier of a user and/or userprocessor requesting the upload to the secure storage, and a timestampcan be included as meta-data.

In an embodiment, user processor 402 b is a personal computer or otheruser device and the software instructions 406 include viewing software.In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thesoftware instructions 406 located on both user processor 402 a and userprocessor 402 b can perform the background processing to store a 3D datafile (or a pointer to the 3D data file) on the blockchain 404.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a schematic illustration 500 of contents ofblocks in a blockchain 500 that documents tasks, or transactions,performed as part of a workflow are generally shown in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present invention. Block 0 502 a is thefirst block in the blockchain and Block 1 502 b is the secondblockchain. Block 0 502 a and block 1 502 b which include meta-data arereferred to herein collectively as blocks 502 with each representing astep in a workflow. For ease of description, only two blocks 502 areshown in the blockchain 500 of FIG. 5 and it should be noted thatembodiments are not limited to workflows having just two steps. Inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention,meta-data about the workflow is stored in the blockchain 500 and thedata files generated by the workflow are stored in another location. Theblockchain 500 shown in FIG. 5 can be stored in any secure or non-securelocation, such as, but not limited to: in a folder with the data files,in a container with the data files, or in a separate location from thedata files. Though not shown in FIG. 5, block 1 502 b includes abackwards pointer (or some other reference) to the location of block 0502 a for use in traversing backwards through the steps in the workflowrepresented by the blockchain 500. In addition, block 0 502 a mayinclude a forward pointer (or some other reference) to the location ofblock 1 502 b which can be used for traversing forwards through thesteps in the workflow represented by the blocks in the blockchain 500.

The example blocks 502 shown in FIG. 5 include a data reference field505 that includes a pointer to a location of a data file created by theprocessing performed by the step in the workflow and described in thetransactions field 504. The data hash field 503 includes a hash valueassociated with the contents of the data file to provide a link to thecontents of the data file(s). The transactions field 504 includes adescription of processing performed at that step in the workflowincluding for example, a description of the processing performed (e.g.,filter applied to data, data captured, etc.) as well as hardware andhardware settings utilized in the step and/or software packages used toperform the step including version levels utilized at that step. Inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thetransactions field 504 includes enough information for a human toreplicate the processing performed at the step in the workflow processrepresented by the block. In accordance with one or more embodiments ofthe present invention, where the workflow is automated, the transactionsfield 504 incudes enough information (e.g., in list form) for a machine(e.g., a computer) to replicate the step in the workflow processrepresented by the block.

The block timestamp field 506 reflects the time that the block 502 wascreated. The previous block hash field 507 is the hash of the contentsof the previous block. For example, the previous block hash field 507 ofblock 1 502 b contains the hash of the contents of block 0 502 a (i.e.,block hash 510 in block 0 502 a). The previous block signature field 509stores the digital signature of the previous block. For example, theprevious block signature field 507 of block 1 502 b contains the digitalsignature field 508 of block 0 502 a.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, ablock 502 is created by a real person (e.g., User 0 of FIG. 5) or by analgorithm or device (e.g., Module 0 of FIG. 5).

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the digital signature field 508 isgenerated based on a module private key and a user private key. As shownin FIG. 5, the module private key is applied to the block hash 510 togenerate “Signature 1”, and the user private key is applied to“Signature 1” to generate “Signature 2.” Signature 2 is stored in theprevious block signature field 509 of the next block. The module privatekey can be associated with hardware and/or software that was applied tothe data, and Signature 1 is used to verify that the specified hardwarewas used during the step. The user private key can be associated with auser performing the step and by signing (e.g., creating Signature 2) theuser is verifying that he or she performed the step in accordance withthe description in the transactions field 504. The user at the currentblock can apply public keys 511 to perform the verification. A block 502can include multiple digital signatures as shown in FIG. 5, one digitalsignature, or no digital signatures, and different blocks in ablockchain can have different numbers of signatures.

In some cases, such as when multiple 3D scans that might have beencaptured with different devices by different operators are combined intoone project containing the entire area of interest, multiple previousblocks 502 feed input data files into a current block. When a block 502has multiple previous blocks, there are multiple previous block hashfields 507 and previous block signature fields 509 stored for example,in list format.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention,transactions described in the transactions field 504 are classified intodifferent groups: trusted transactions, standard operations, andcritical operations. Trusted transactions can include operations thatare performed automatically by known modules or software that, forexample have previously been used successfully in court to establish achain of custody. Trusted transaction can also include transactions thathave already been checked by known experts and may be signed by theknown experts. In general, trusted transactions are repeatable, orreusable, and can be applied to other data files. Once a transaction isapproved, an attribute in a software module that performs thetransaction can be adjusted accordingly. In addition, or alternatively,there also might be a public list of trusted transactions that this canbe checked by anybody everybody. Critical operations can includestandard procedures performed by an operator that are not reusable suchas, but not limited to the operator selects a part of a scan data fileand/or the operator selects an operation to be performed on a data file.Critical operations can include manual changes that are approved andsigned by the operator but can't be used in a general way. Standardoperations are not signed because they cannot be applied to other datafiles. Standard operations can include well described methods such as,but not limited to: standard filters to remove scanning artifacts; andanalysis methods calculating the expected position of a person in acrime scene. Some standard operations can be expected to become trustedtransactions in the future. Critical operations generally cannot beapplied to other data files and can include manual modifications to datain a data file such as, but not limited to manual deletion, manualcorrection, and manual modeling. Having a digital signature of a usercan be particularly important for tasks that include critical operationsin order to verify that the operator is trained and/or a known expert inperforming the critical operations.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a flow diagram 600 illustrating a method fortracking data acquired by a coordinate measurement device through aworkflow using a secure database is generally shown in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present invention. The processing shownin FIG. 6 can be performed, for example, by user processor 402 of FIG.4. At block 602, the process starts by accessing the head of theblockchain which includes a pointer to the last block in the chain. Atblock 604, the data including a data file and/or meta-data in the lastblock in the chain are accessed, and at block 606 the data is validatedto ensure that it has not been modified since being stored in theblockchain. In accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the validating includes comparing hash values of the data andnot the actual data. At block 608, a digital signature in the block isverified to validate the data consistency, for example, the digitalsignature check makes sure that the user and/or module really didperform the process. At block 610 it is determined whether there aremore blocks in the blockchain. If there are no more blocks, processingcompletes at block 614. If there are more blocks in the blockchain,processing continues at block 612 with moving to the previous block andperforming the processing in blocks 604 through 610 for the previousblock. If no errors are detected while traversing backwards through theblockchain, the contents of the blockchain represent a trace of themovement of the data file(s) through the workflow and can be presentedas evidence of chain of custody. In accordance with one or moreembodiments, of the present invention, a version of the data at aselected point in time can be recreated based at least in part oncontents of the decentralized database.

The processing shown in FIG. 6 can be requested by an authorizedrequestor to generate a trace of the data that describes the data as itmoves through a workflow process represented by contents of theblockchain. As used herein the term “authorized requestor” refers to auser who has been given access to contents of the entire blockchain andwho has been given authority to generate the trace. In accordance withone or more embodiments of the present invention the trace is output tothe authorized requestor. The trace that is output includes at least asubset of the data. An example trace output to the authorized requestorincludes a plot of all chained blocks starting with the first block ofmeta-data, including signatures, hashes and data links. The plot can beused to check each step manually by any authorized person who would liketo verify the correctness of the methods using the defined hash andcryptographic methods.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention,there are several options to verify the correct processing of the data.One option includes verifying hashes and digital signatures and includesapplying these cryptographic methods to check that the processing wascorrect. Another option is to recreate the final data starting fromscratch (i.e., starting from the first input data and using themeta-data describing the workflow). If the data was correctly processed,the result will be different only regarding dates that are stored in thedata. This second option can be used to demonstrate the traceability ofthe system but may not be required for proof of data consistency. Thesecond option can also be useful in applying established workflows tonew data.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a flow diagram 700 illustrating a method forensuring that data output from a workflow has not been tampered with isgenerally shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention. A description of the workflow may be stored, forexample, as meta-data in a secure database as described above withreference to FIGS. 3-5. The process begins at block 702 with identifyinga digital asset (e.g., an output data file generated by a workflow) tobe verified. At block 704, an input data file(s) used by the workflow togenerate the output data file is identified. Transactions described ineach step of the workflow are applied at block 706, starting with theinput data file being input to the first step. The result(s) of applyingthe transactions (e.g., an output data file) is compared to the digitalasset at block 708. The digital asset is verified at block 714 if theresult(s) of applying the transactions matches the digital asset. Thedigital asset is determined not to be valid at block 712 when theresult(s) don't match the digital asset.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, theprocessing described in FIG. 7 can be started at any step within aworkflow process and stopped at any step in the work flow process inorder to verify a subset of the digital assets produced by the workflowprocess.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a flow diagram 800 illustrating a method forapplying a standardized workflow to an input data file is generallyshown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention. A description of the workflow may be stored, for example, asmeta-data in a secure database as described above with reference toFIGS. 3-5. In accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentinvention, the transaction descriptions from the stored workflows areused to process new input data in accordance with the standardizedworkflow, resulting in new output data. This provides the ability tomake use of well-known and accepted procedures/workflows using thesecure database (e.g., blockchain) belonging to that workflow.

The processing in FIG. 8 starts at block 802 with creating a workflowhaving a plurality of steps with meta-data describing each of the steps.At block 804, the workflow is stored. Processing continues at block 806with accessing the metadata for the first step in the workflow toidentify a description of an input file(s), an output file(s), and atransaction(s) to be applied to the input data file(s) to generate theoutput file(s). At block 808, the identified transaction(s) is appliedto the input data file(s) and the output data file(s) is generated. Itis determined, at block 810, whether there is another step in theworkflow. If there is another step in the workflow, then block 814 isperformed to access the meta-data for the next step in the workflow, andprocessing continues at block 808. If there is not another step in theworkflow, then block 812 is performed and the workflow is complete. Theoutput data file(s) can be output at block 812.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, thestored workflow is a workflow that has been previously used successfullyin court to provide evidence. The processing shown in FIG. 8 allows theapplication of a signed (e.g., verified by experts as working in court)workflow to new data. In accordance with one or more embodiments, thestored workflow contains signatures of a current operator and of anexpert certifying that this is a well proven procedure.

One or more embodiments of the present invention can be used whencreating experts that are certified operators. For example, a trainercan provide a signature to a trainee after the trainee has beensuccessfully trained. This can be used as a verification that the newexpert is certified. In accordance with embodiments, the signature canbe a signature of an authorized institute.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-12, a laser scanner 20 is shown for opticallyscanning and measuring the environment surrounding the laser scanner 20.The laser scanner 20 has a measuring head 22 and a base 24. Themeasuring head 22 is mounted on the base 24 such that the laser scanner20 may be rotated about a vertical axis 23. In one embodiment, themeasuring head 22 includes a gimbal point 27 that is a center ofrotation about the vertical axis 23 and a horizontal axis 25. Themeasuring head 22 has a rotary mirror 26, which may be rotated about thehorizontal axis 25. The rotation about the vertical axis may be aboutthe center of the base 24. The terms vertical axis and horizontal axisrefer to the scanner in its normal upright position. It is possible tooperate a 3D coordinate measurement device on its side or upside down,and so to avoid confusion, the terms azimuth axis and zenith axis may besubstituted for the terms vertical axis and horizontal axis,respectively. The term pan axis or standing axis may also be used as analternative to vertical axis.

The measuring head 22 is further provided with an electromagneticradiation emitter, such as light emitter 28, for example, that emits anemitted light beam 30. In one embodiment, the emitted light beam 30 is acoherent light beam such as a laser beam. The laser beam may have awavelength range of approximately 300 to 1600 nanometers, for example790 nanometers, 905 nanometers, 1550 nm, or less than 400 nanometers. Itshould be appreciated that other electromagnetic radiation beams havinggreater or smaller wavelengths may also be used. The emitted light beam30 is amplitude or intensity modulated, for example, with a sinusoidalwaveform or with a rectangular waveform. The emitted light beam 30 isemitted by the light emitter 28 onto a beam steering unit, such asmirror 26, where it is deflected to the environment. A reflected lightbeam 32 is reflected from the environment by an object 34. The reflectedor scattered light is intercepted by the rotary mirror 26 and directedinto a light receiver 36. The directions of the emitted light beam 30and the reflected light beam 32 result from the angular positions of therotary mirror 26 and the measuring head 22 about the axes 25 and 23,respectively. These angular positions in turn depend on thecorresponding rotary drives or motors.

Coupled to the light emitter 28 and the light receiver 36 is acontroller 38. The controller 38 determines, for a multitude ofmeasuring points X, a corresponding number of distances d between thelaser scanner 20 and the points X on object 34. The distance to aparticular point X is determined based at least in part on the speed oflight in air through which electromagnetic radiation propagates from thedevice to the object point X. In one embodiment the phase shift ofmodulation in light emitted by the laser scanner 20 and the point X isdetermined and evaluated to obtain a measured distance d.

The speed of light in air depends on the properties of the air such asthe air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, andconcentration of carbon dioxide. Such air properties influence the indexof refraction n of the air. The speed of light in air is equal to thespeed of light in vacuum c divided by the index of refraction. In otherwords, c_(air)=c/n. A laser scanner of the type discussed herein isbased on the time-of-flight (TOF) of the light in the air (theround-trip time for the light to travel from the device to the objectand back to the device). Examples of TOF scanners include scanners thatmeasure round trip time using the time interval between emitted andreturning pulses (pulsed TOF scanners), scanners that modulate lightsinusoidally and measure phase shift of the returning light (phase-basedscanners), as well as many other types. A method of measuring distancebased on the time-of-flight of light depends on the speed of light inair and is therefore easily distinguished from methods of measuringdistance based on triangulation. Triangulation-based methods involveprojecting light from a light source along a particular direction andthen intercepting the light on a camera pixel along a particulardirection. By knowing the distance between the camera and the projectorand by matching a projected angle with a received angle, the method oftriangulation enables the distance to the object to be determined basedon one known length and two known angles of a triangle. The method oftriangulation, therefore, does not directly depend on the speed of lightin air.

In one mode of operation, the scanning of the volume around the laserscanner 20 takes place by rotating the rotary mirror 26 relativelyquickly about axis 25 while rotating the measuring head 22 relativelyslowly about axis 23, thereby moving the assembly in a spiral pattern.In an exemplary embodiment, the rotary mirror rotates at a maximum speedof 5820 revolutions per minute. For such a scan, the gimbal point 27defines the origin of the local stationary reference system. The base 24rests in this local stationary reference system.

In addition to measuring a distance d from the gimbal point 27 to anobject point X, the scanner 20 may also collect gray-scale informationrelated to the received optical power (equivalent to the term“brightness.”) The gray-scale value may be determined at least in part,for example, by integration of the bandpass-filtered and amplifiedsignal in the light receiver 36 over a measuring period attributed tothe object point X.

The measuring head 22 may include a display device 40 integrated intothe laser scanner 20. The display device 40 may include a graphicaltouch screen 41, as shown in FIG. 9, which allows the operator to setthe parameters or initiate the operation of the laser scanner 20. Forexample, the screen 41 may have a user interface that allows theoperator to provide measurement instructions to the device, and thescreen may also display measurement results.

The laser scanner 20 includes a carrying structure 42 that provides aframe for the measuring head 22 and a platform for attaching thecomponents of the laser scanner 20. In one embodiment, the carryingstructure 42 is made from a metal such as aluminum. The carryingstructure 42 includes a traverse member 44 having a pair of walls 46, 48on opposing ends. The walls 46, 48 are parallel to each other and extendin a direction opposite the base 24. Shells 50, 52 are coupled to thewalls 46, 48 and cover the components of the laser scanner 20. In theexemplary embodiment, the shells 50, 52 are made from a plasticmaterial, such as polycarbonate or polyethylene for example. The shells50, 52 cooperate with the walls 46, 48 to form a housing for the laserscanner 20.

On an end of the shells 50, 52 opposite the walls 46, 48 a pair of yokes54, 56 are arranged to partially cover the respective shells 50, 52. Inthe exemplary embodiment, the yokes 54, 56 are made from a suitablydurable material, such as aluminum for example, that assists inprotecting the shells 50, 52 during transport and operation. The yokes54, 56 each includes a first arm portion 58 that is coupled, such aswith a fastener for example, to the traverse 44 adjacent the base 24.The arm portion 58 for each yoke 54, 56 extends from the traverse 44obliquely to an outer corner of the respective shell 50, 52. From theouter corner of the shell, the yokes 54, 56 extend along the side edgeof the shell to an opposite outer corner of the shell. Each yoke 54, 56further includes a second arm portion that extends obliquely to thewalls 46, 48. It should be appreciated that the yokes 54, 56 may becoupled to the traverse 42, the walls 46, 48 and the shells 50, 54 atmultiple locations.

The pair of yokes 54, 56 cooperate to circumscribe a convex space withinwhich the two shells 50, 52 are arranged. In the exemplary embodiment,the yokes 54, 56 cooperate to cover all of the outer edges of the shells50, 54, while the top and bottom arm portions project over at least aportion of the top and bottom edges of the shells 50, 52. This providesadvantages in protecting the shells 50, 52 and the measuring head 22from damage during transportation and operation. In other embodiments,the yokes 54, 56 may include additional features, such as handles tofacilitate the carrying of the laser scanner 20 or attachment points foraccessories for example.

On top of the traverse 44, a prism 60 is provided. The prism extendsparallel to the walls 46, 48. In the exemplary embodiment, the prism 60is integrally formed as part of the carrying structure 42. In otherembodiments, the prism 60 is a separate component that is coupled to thetraverse 44. When the mirror 26 rotates, during each rotation the mirror26 directs the emitted light beam 30 onto the traverse 44 and the prism60. Due to non-linearities in the electronic components, for example inthe light receiver 36, the measured distances d may depend on signalstrength, which may be measured in optical power entering the scanner oroptical power entering optical detectors within the light receiver 36,for example. In an embodiment, a distance correction is stored in thescanner as a function (possibly a nonlinear function) of distance to ameasured point and optical power (generally unscaled quantity of lightpower sometimes referred to as “brightness”) returned from the measuredpoint and sent to an optical detector in the light receiver 36. Sincethe prism 60 is at a known distance from the gimbal point 27, themeasured optical power level of light reflected by the prism 60 may beused to correct distance measurements for other measured points, therebyallowing for compensation to correct for the effects of environmentalvariables such as temperature. In the exemplary embodiment, theresulting correction of distance is performed by the controller 38.

In an embodiment, the base 24 is coupled to a swivel assembly (notshown) such as that described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,705,012('012), which is incorporated by reference herein. The swivel assemblyis housed within the carrying structure 42 and includes a motor 138 thatis configured to rotate the measuring head 22 about the axis 23. In anembodiment, the angular/rotational position of the measuring head 22about the axis 23 is measured by angular encoder 134.

An auxiliary image acquisition device 66 may be a device that capturesand measures a parameter associated with the scanned area or the scannedobject and provides a signal representing the measured quantities overan image acquisition area. The auxiliary image acquisition device 66 maybe, but is not limited to, a pyrometer, a thermal imager, an ionizingradiation detector, or a millimeter-wave detector. In an embodiment, theauxiliary image acquisition device 66 is a color camera.

In an embodiment, a central color camera (first image acquisitiondevice) 112 is located internally to the scanner and may have the sameoptical axis as the 3D scanner device. In this embodiment, the firstimage acquisition device 112 is integrated into the measuring head 22and arranged to acquire images along the same optical pathway as emittedlight beam 30 and reflected light beam 32. In this embodiment, the lightfrom the light emitter 28 reflects off a fixed mirror 116 and travels todichroic beam-splitter 118 that reflects the light 117 from the lightemitter 28 onto the rotary mirror 26. In an embodiment, the mirror 26 isrotated by a motor 136 and the angular/rotational position of the mirroris measured by angular encoder 134. The dichroic beam-splitter 118allows light to pass through at wavelengths different than thewavelength of light 117. For example, the light emitter 28 may be a nearinfrared laser light (for example, light at wavelengths of 780 nm or1150 nm), with the dichroic beam-splitter 118 configured to reflect theinfrared laser light while allowing visible light (e.g., wavelengths of400 to 700 nm) to transmit through. In other embodiments, thedetermination of whether the light passes through the beam-splitter 118or is reflected depends on the polarization of the light. The digitalcamera 112 obtains 2D images of the scanned area to capture color datato add to the scanned image. In the case of a built-in color camerahaving an optical axis coincident with that of the 3D scanning device,the direction of the camera view may be easily obtained by simplyadjusting the steering mechanisms of the scanner—for example, byadjusting the azimuth angle about the axis 23 and by steering the mirror26 about the axis 25.

Referring now to FIG. 12 with continuing reference to FIGS. 9-11,elements are shown of the laser scanner 20. Controller 38 is a suitableelectronic device capable of accepting data and instructions, executingthe instructions to process the data, and presenting the results. Thecontroller 38 includes one or more processing elements 122. Theprocessors may be microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and generally any devicecapable of performing computing functions. The one or more processors122 have access to memory 124 for storing information.

Controller 38 is capable of converting the analog voltage or currentlevel provided by light receiver 36 into a digital signal to determine adistance from the laser scanner 20 to an object in the environment.Controller 38 uses the digital signals that act as input to variousprocesses for controlling the laser scanner 20. The digital signalsrepresent one or more laser scanner 20 data including but not limited todistance to an object, images of the environment, images acquired bypanoramic camera 126, angular/rotational measurements by a first orazimuth encoder 132, and angular/rotational measurements by a secondaxis or zenith encoder 134.

In general, controller 38 accepts data from encoders 132, 134, lightreceiver 36, light source 28, and panoramic camera 126 and is givencertain instructions for the purpose of generating a 3D point cloud of ascanned environment. Controller 38 provides operating signals to thelight source 28, light receiver 36, panoramic camera 126, zenith motor136 and azimuth motor 138. The controller 38 compares the operationalparameters to predetermined variances and if the predetermined varianceis exceeded, generates a signal that alerts an operator to a condition.The data received by the controller 38 may be displayed on a userinterface 40 coupled to controller 38. The user interface 140 may be oneor more LEDs (light-emitting diodes) 82, an LCD (liquid-crystal diode)display, a CRT (cathode ray tube) display, a touch-screen display or thelike. A keypad may also be coupled to the user interface for providingdata input to controller 38. In one embodiment, the user interface isarranged or executed on a mobile computing device that is coupled forcommunication, such as via a wired or wireless communications medium(e.g. Ethernet, serial, USB, Bluetooth™ or WiFi) for example, to thelaser scanner 20.

The controller 38 may also be coupled to external computer networks suchas a local area network (LAN) and the Internet. A LAN interconnects oneor more remote computers, which are configured to communicate withcontroller 38 using a well-known computer communications protocol suchas TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet({circumflex over ( )})Protocol), RS-232, ModBus, and the like. Additional systems 20 may alsobe connected to LAN with the controllers 38 in each of these systems 20being configured to send and receive data to and from remote computersand other systems 20. The LAN may be connected to the Internet. Thisconnection allows controller 38 to communicate with one or more remotecomputers connected to the Internet.

The processors 122 are coupled to memory 124. The memory 124 may includerandom access memory (RAM) device 140, a non-volatile memory (NVM)device 142, and a read-only memory (ROM) device 144. In addition, theprocessors 122 may be connected to one or more input/output (I/O)controllers 146 and a communications circuit 148. In an embodiment, thecommunications circuit 92 provides an interface that allows wireless orwired communication with one or more external devices or networks, suchas the LAN discussed above.

Controller 38 includes operation control methods embodied in computerinstructions written to be executed by processors 122, typically in theform of software. The software can be encoded in any language,including, but not limited to, assembly language, VHDL (Verilog HardwareDescription Language), VHSIC HDL (Very High Speed IC HardwareDescription Language), Fortran (formula translation), C, C++, C #,Objective-C, Visual C++, Java, ALGOL (algorithmic language), BASIC(beginners all-purpose symbolic instruction code), visual BASIC,ActiveX, HTML (HyperText Markup Language), Python, Ruby and anycombination or derivative of at least one of the foregoing.

It should be appreciated that while embodiments herein describe acoordinate measurement device in reference to laser scanner 32, this isfor exemplary purposes and the claims should not be so limited. In otherembodiments, the scan processing software may be executed on, or receivedata from, any coordinate measurement device capable of measuring anddetermining 3D coordinates of an object or the environment. Thecoordinate measurement device may be but is not limited to: anarticulated arm coordinate measurement machine, a laser tracker, animage scanner, a photogrammetry device, a triangulation scanner, a laserline probe, or a structured light scanner for example.

It is understood in advance that although this disclosure describesproviding secure data in 3D software applications in reference to cloudcomputing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are notlimited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of thepresent invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction withany other type of computing environment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.In essence, cloud computing is an infrastructure made up of a network ofinterconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 13, an illustrative cloud computing environment1300 is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 1300 comprisesone or more cloud computing nodes 1302 with which local computingdevices used by cloud consumers, such as, for example, coordinatemeasurement device 1304 and computers 1306 1308 may communicate. In anembodiment, the processing described herein is performed through thecooperation of computer 1308 or 1306, and the coordinate measurementdevice 1304. Nodes 1302 may communicate with one another. They may begrouped (not shown) physically or virtually, in one or more networks,such as Private, Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as describedhereinabove, or a combination thereof. This allows cloud computingenvironment 1300 to offer infrastructure, platforms and/or software asservices for which a cloud consumer does not need to maintain resourceson a local computing device. It is understood that the types ofcomputing devices 1304-1308 shown in FIG. 13 are intended to beillustrative only and that computing nodes 1302 and cloud computingenvironment 1300 can communicate with any type of computerized deviceover any type of network and/or network addressable connection (e.g.,using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 14, a set of functional abstraction layersprovided by cloud computing environment 1300 (FIG. 13) is shown. Itshould be understood in advance that the components, layers, andfunctions shown in FIG. 14 are intended to be illustrative only andembodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. As depicted, thefollowing layers and corresponding functions are provided: hardware andsoftware layer 1412 includes hardware and software components. Examplesof hardware components include but are not limited to: mainframes 1414;desktop computer workstations; laptops; tablets; mobile telephones; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 1416;servers 1418; blade servers 1420; storage devices 1422; and networks andnetworking components 1424. In some embodiments hardware components areimbedded or integrated into measurement or digital asset collectionssystem. In some embodiments, software components include networkapplication server software 1426, and database software 1428;virtualization layer 1430 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers1432; virtual storage 1434; virtual networks 1436, including virtualprivate networks; virtual applications and operating systems 1438; andvirtual clients 1440.

In one example, management layer 1442 may provide the functionsdescribed below. Resource provisioning 1444 provides dynamic procurementof computing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and pricing 1446provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 1448 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 1450provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 1452 provides pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 1454 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 1456; software development and lifecycle management 1458;transaction processing 1460; scan processing software 1462; point cloudto virtual reality data processing 1464; and user defined content topoint cloud processing 1466.

Turning now to FIG. 15, a schematic illustration of a system 1500 isdepicted upon which aspects of one or more embodiments of providingsecure data in 3D software applications may be implemented. In anembodiment, all or a portion of the system 1500 may be incorporated intoone or more of the 3D scanner device and processors described herein. Inone or more exemplary embodiments, in terms of hardware architecture, asshown in FIG. 15, the computer 1501 includes a processing device 1505and a memory 1510 coupled to a memory controller 1515 and aninput/output controller 1535. The input/output controller 1535 can be,for example, but not limited to, one or more buses or other wired orwireless connections, as is known in the art. The input/outputcontroller 1535 may have additional elements, which are omitted forsimplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters,and receivers, to enable communications. Further, the computer 1501 mayinclude address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriatecommunications among the aforementioned components.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, a keyboard 1550 and mouse 1555 orsimilar devices can be coupled to the input/output controller 1535.Alternatively, input may be received via a touch-sensitive or motionsensitive interface (not depicted). The computer 1501 can furtherinclude a display controller 1525 coupled to a display 1530.

The processing device 1505 is a hardware device for executing software,particularly software stored in secondary storage 1520 or memory 1510.The processing device 1505 can be any custom made or commerciallyavailable computer processor, a central processing unit (CPU), anauxiliary processor among several processors associated with thecomputer 1501, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of amicrochip or chip set), a macro-processor, or generally any device forexecuting instructions.

The memory 1510 can include any one or combination of volatile memoryelements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM,etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, erasable programmableread only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read onlymemory (EEPROM), flash memory, programmable read only memory (PROM),tape, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), flash drive, disk, harddisk drive, diskette, cartridge, cassette or the like, etc.). Moreover,the memory 1510 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/orother types of storage media. Accordingly, the memory 1510 is an exampleof a tangible computer readable storage medium 1540 upon whichinstructions executable by the processing device 1505 may be embodied asa computer program product. The memory 1510 can have a distributedarchitecture, where various components are situated remote from oneanother, but can be accessed by the processing device 1505.

The instructions in memory 1510 may include one or more separateprograms, each of which comprises an ordered listing of executableinstructions for implementing logical functions. In the example of FIG.15, the instructions in the memory 1510 include a suitable operatingsystem (OS) 1511 and program instructions 1516. The operating system1511 essentially controls the execution of other computer programs andprovides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management,memory management, and communication control and related services. Whenthe computer 1501 is in operation, the processing device 1505 isconfigured to execute instructions stored within the memory 1510, tocommunicate data to and from the memory 1510, and to generally controloperations of the computer 1501 pursuant to the instructions. Examplesof program instructions 1516 can include instructions to implement theprocessing described herein in reference to FIGS. 1-14.

The computer 1501 of FIG. 15 also includes a network interface 1560 thatcan establish communication channels with one or more other computersystems via one or more network links. The network interface 1560 cansupport wired and/or wireless communication protocols known in the art.For example, when embodied in a user system, the network interface 1560can establish communication channels with an application server.

It will be appreciated that aspects of the present invention may beembodied as a system, method, or computer program product and may takethe form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment (includingfirmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or a combinationthereof. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the formof a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

One or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computerreadable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computerreadable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, forexample, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, ordevice, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specificexamples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage mediumwould include the following: an electrical connection having one or morewires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compactdisc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magneticstorage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In oneaspect, the computer readable storage medium may be a tangible mediumcontaining or storing a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

The computer readable medium may contain program code embodied thereon,which may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but notlimited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. In addition, computer programcode for carrying out operations for implementing aspects of the presentinvention may be written in any combination of one or more programminglanguages, including an object oriented programming language such asJava, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer,partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partlyon the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely onthe remote computer or server.

It will be appreciated that aspects of the present invention aredescribed herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or blockdiagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program productsaccording to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood thateach block or step of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams,and combinations of blocks or steps in the flowchart illustrationsand/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer programinstructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also beloaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, orother devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed onthe computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce acomputer implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

In addition, some embodiments described herein are associated with an“indication”. As used herein, the term “indication” may be used to referto any indicia and/or other information indicative of or associated witha subject, item, entity, and/or other object and/or idea. As usedherein, the phrases “information indicative of” and “indicia” may beused to refer to any information that represents, describes, and/or isotherwise associated with a related entity, subject, or object. Indiciaof information may include, for example, a code, a reference, a link, asignal, an identifier, and/or any combination thereof and/or any otherinformative representation associated with the information. In someembodiments, indicia of information (or indicative of the information)may be or include the information itself and/or any portion or componentof the information. In some embodiments, an indication may include arequest, a solicitation, a broadcast, and/or any other form ofinformation gathering and/or dissemination.

Numerous embodiments are described in this patent application and arepresented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments arenot, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presentlydisclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, asis readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced withvarious modifications and alterations, such as structural, logical,software, and electrical modifications. Although particular features ofthe disclosed invention(s) may be described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments and/or drawings, it should be understoodthat such features are not limited to usage in the one or moreparticular embodiments or drawings with reference to which they aredescribed, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be incontinuous communication with each other, unless expressly specifiedotherwise. On the contrary, such devices need only transmit to eachother as necessary or desirable and may actually refrain from exchangingdata most of the time. For example, a machine in communication withanother machine via the Internet may not transmit data to the othermachine for weeks at a time. In addition, devices that are incommunication with each other may communicate directly or indirectlythrough one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components or features doesnot imply that all or even any of such components and/or features arerequired. On the contrary, a variety of optional components aredescribed to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of thepresent invention(s). Unless otherwise specified explicitly, nocomponent and/or feature is essential or required.

Further, although process steps, algorithms or the like may be describedin a sequential order, such processes may be configured to work indifferent orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps thatmay be explicitly described does not necessarily indicate a requirementthat the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processesdescribed herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, somesteps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or impliedas occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is describedafter the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by itsdepiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process isexclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not implythat the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to theinvention, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred.

“Determining” something can be performed in a variety of manners andtherefore the term “determining” (and like terms) includes calculating,computing, deriving, looking up (e.g., in a table, database or datastructure), ascertaining and the like.

It will be readily apparent that the various methods and algorithmsdescribed herein may be implemented by, e.g., appropriately and/orspecially-programmed general purpose computers and/or computing devices.Typically, a processor (e.g., one or more microprocessors) will receiveinstructions from a memory or like device, and execute thoseinstructions, thereby performing one or more processes defined by thoseinstructions. Further, programs that implement such methods andalgorithms may be stored and transmitted using a variety of media (e.g.,computer readable media) in a number of manners. In some embodiments,hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of, or incombination with, software instructions for implementation of theprocesses of various embodiments. Thus, embodiments are not limited toany specific combination of hardware and software.

A “processor” generally means any one or more microprocessors, digitalCPU devices, GPU devices, computing devices, microcontrollers, digitalsignal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), orlike devices, as further described herein. A CPU typically performs avariety of tasks while a GPU is optimized to display or process imagesand/or 3D datasets.

Where databases are described, it will be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art that (i) alternative database structures to thosedescribed may be readily employed, and (ii) other memory structuresbesides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations ordescriptions of any sample databases presented herein are illustrativearrangements for stored representations of information. Any number ofother arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by, e.g.,tables illustrated in drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustratedentries of the databases represent exemplary information only; one ofordinary skill in the art will understand that the number and content ofthe entries can be different from those described herein. Further,despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats(including relational databases, object-based models and/or distributeddatabases) could be used to store and manipulate the data typesdescribed herein. Likewise, object methods or behaviors of a databasecan be used to implement various processes, such as the describedherein. In addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be storedlocally or remotely from a device that accesses data in such a database.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of onemore other features, integers, steps, operations, element components,and/or groups thereof.

Terms such as processor, controller, computer, DSP, FPGA are understoodin this document to mean a computing device that may be located withinan instrument, distributed in multiple elements throughout aninstrument, or placed external to an instrument.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with onlya limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood thatthe invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, theinvention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations,alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretoforedescribed, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of theinvention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention havebeen described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention mayinclude only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description butis only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

The term “about” is intended to include the degree of error associatedwith measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipmentavailable at the time of filing the application. For example, “about”can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for tracking digital assets, the methodcomprising: providing a database for storing meta-data that describessteps in a workflow and an order of the steps in the workflow, themeta-data comprising for each of the steps: a description of an inputdata file for the step; a description of a transaction performed at thestep; a description of an output data file generated by the step basedat least in part on applying the transaction to the input data file; atime stamp of a time of an update to the output data file; an identifierof a person or processor initiating the update; and a pointer to alocation of the output data file; receiving data that comprisesmeta-data for a step in the workflow; storing the data in the database;and based on receiving a request from a requestor for a trace of theworkflow: generating the trace based at last in part on contents of thedatabase; and outputting at least a subset of the trace to therequestor.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein an input data file for afirst step in the workflow is acquired by a coordinate measurementdevice.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the coordinate measurementdevice comprises a photogrammetry device.
 4. The method of claim 2,wherein the coordinate measurement device comprises a scanner.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the trace comprises a chain of custody. 6.The method of claim 1, further comprising recreating a version of anoutput data file at a selected point in time based at least in part oncontents of the database.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the databaseis used to implement a blockchain, with each block in the blockchainrepresenting a step in the workflow, the blockchain utilized to provideproof of non-manipulated data.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein atleast one block in the blockchain is digitally signed by a creator ofthe at least one block.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the databaseprovides a template for the workflow.
 10. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising applying the workflow to new input data.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the database is used to implement event sourcing. 12.The method of claim 1, wherein the data documents a crime scene or anaccident scene.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein an input data filefor a first step in the workflow is acquired by a three dimensional (3D)camera.
 14. A system for tracking digital assets, the system comprising:a memory having computer readable instructions; and one or moreprocessors for executing the computer readable instructions, thecomputer readable instructions controlling the one or more processors toperform operations comprising: providing a database for storingmeta-data that describes steps in a workflow and an order of the stepsin the workflow, the meta-data comprising for each of the steps: adescription of an input data file for the step; a description of atransaction performed at the step; a description of an output data filegenerated by the step based at least in part on applying the transactionto the input data file; a time stamp of a time of an update to theoutput data file; an identifier of a person or processor initiating theupdate; and a pointer to a location of the output data file; receivingdata that comprises meta-data for a step in the workflow; storing thedata in the database; and based on receiving a request from a requestorfor a trace of the workflow: generating the trace based at last in parton contents of the database; and outputting at least a subset of thetrace to the requestor.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein an inputdata file for a first step in the workflow is acquired by a coordinatemeasurement device.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the tracecomprises a chain of custody.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein theoperations further comprise recreating a version of an output data fileat a selected point in time based at least in part on contents of thedatabase.
 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the database is used toimplement a blockchain, with each block in the blockchain representing astep in the workflow, the blockchain utilized to provide proof ofnon-manipulated data.
 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the databaseprovides a template for the workflow.
 20. The system of claim 19,wherein the operations further comprise applying the workflow to newinput data.
 21. A computer program product for tracking digital assets,the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computerreadable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith,the program instructions executable by a processor to cause theprocessor to perform operations comprising: providing a database forstoring meta-data that describes steps in a workflow and an order of thesteps in the workflow, the meta-data comprising for each of the steps: adescription of an input data file for the step; a description of atransaction performed at the step; a description of an output data filegenerated by the step based at least in part on applying the transactionto the input data file; a time stamp of a time of an update to theoutput data file; an identifier of a person or processor initiating theupdate; and a pointer to a location of the output data file; receivingdata that comprises meta-data for a step in the workflow; storing thedata in the database; and based on receiving a request from a requestorfor a trace of the workflow: generating the trace based at last in parton contents of the database; and outputting at least a subset of thetrace to the requestor.